Arts Council England have awarded a Creative Local Growth Fund to Watershed, who will receive £500,000 to work with the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership and a consortium of leading arts and cultural organisations: Spike Island, University of the West of England, Knowle West Media Centre, The Guild Bath and the Pervasive Media Studio.

The Regional Arts Incubation Network (RAIN) will increase the contribution that the arts and culture sector make to the creative economy by developing the entrepreneurial capacity of artists and creative practitioners through a significant package of tailored incubation and business support.

Phil Gibby, Area Director, South West, Arts Council England, said:

'I am delighted that the south west is receiving this investment, which shows the strength of the partnerships building between the arts and culture sector, LEPS and key strategic bodies in our region.

The Creative Local Growth Fund places arts and culture at the heart of economic growth plans by securing these partnerships for the long term and supporting creative businesses to boost the local economy.

Our investment will lever match funding from the ERDF and ESF and from education, business and local authorities, which will reap huge benefits for the south west, creating jobs and developing the creative sector.'

Spike Island

Spike Island is an international centre for the
development of contemporary art and design.
A vibrant hub for production, presentation
and debate, it invites audiences to engage
directly with creative practices through
participation and discussion.